1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a slider for slide fasteners or zippers and more particularly to an automatic locking slider having a pair of pull tabs to enable its operation from either side.
2. Prior Art
Automatic locking slide fastener sliders with double pull tabs are known for their expediency to permit the slider to be manipulated optionally from either of its top and bottom sides to open or close the fastener.
A typical example of such double pull tab sliders is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication 56-37606 in which a slider has a pair of pull tabs operatively associated with a locking prong and a pivotal link, respectively, the locking prong being resiliently movable into and out of the path of slide fastener coupling elements. While this slider is simple in construction, it has a drawback in that since the locking prong and the pivotal link are both borne against the slider body simply by leaf springs, these operative parts are prone to become displaced or misaligned under the influence of stresses exerted to the pull tabs when the latter are moved along the rows of coupling elements, with the results that the locking prong would fail to move back clear out of the path of the coupling elements, or the pivotal link would fail to rotate sufficiently and that therefore the locking prong would impinge upon and damage the fastener elements.